Powdery cloud disperser

ABSTRACT

A disperser of a powdery cloud which may be used to defeat infra-red  sens used by enemy forces and an arrangement which will effectively and efficiently produce a cloud of powder for military applications. 
     The disperser is provided with a barrel containing powder to which a cover is secured. The cover has an axial opening provided with an upper and lower cylindrical pipe section communicating therewith. A hollow elbow-like pysi is also secured to a second opening in the cover. Air is forced into the upper cylindrical pipe and travels down through the lower cylindrical pysi into the powder. This forced air carries the powder up to the elbow-like pipe and out into the atmosphere as a powdery cloud. Control of the dispersion process is by means of two slide-valves provided on the upper cylinder pysi.

GOVERNMENTAL INTEREST

The invention described herein was made in the course of or under acontract or subcontract thereunder with the Government and may bemanufactured, used and licensed by or for the Government forGovernmental purposes without payment to us of any royalties thereon.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Field of Use

This invention relates to a disperser of a powdery cloud for militaryapplications.

More particularly, this invention relates to a powder disperser for usein concealment of a target.

Smoke clouds are known to conceal targets from enemy view. However,although they cannot be penetrated by optics, television, imageintensification and near infra-red devices, they may be penetrated bydevices using the far infra-red spectrum. Protection from the farinfra-red spectrum can only be accomplished by a cloud of powder.

What is needed is a dispersing arrangement which will effectively andefficiently produce a cloud of powder for military applications.

In one attempt to design the needed arrangement, an inverted hopperhaving an inlet port which could be provided with a forced-air supply,and an exhaust post for the provision of a dispersing cloud of powderwas attached to the top of a drum containing powder. The drum was thenturned upside down in order to provide a gravitational supply of powderto the air-stream when the forced air was supplied to the system.However, the ports became clogged, and the arrangement was totallyunsatisfactory for military use in providing an effective and efficientcloud to defeat enemy sensors.

In a further attempt, a hopper was attached to the exhaust pipe of aforced-air generator. In this manner, powder was dispersed into theair-stream in a continuous manner. However, the cloud produced by thismethod was much smaller, and a large portion of the powder fell to theground within 50 yards of the hopper.

In a still further attempt, a ring and a collapsible tube was designedto lay on top of the powder in the drum. An air-jet was directed from ablower directly into the powder for maximum effect. The collapsible tubeallowed the ring to follow the powder as the drum was emptied. The ringperformed satisfactorily in directing the air into the powder but thedrum tipped over as it was emptied. To regain full powder flow, the drumhad to be physically righted which was very tedious and time-consuming.

It is an object of this invention to provide a powdery cloud formilitary applications.

Another object is to provide a disperser of a powdery cloud which may beused to defeat infra-red sensors used by enemy forces.

A further object is to provide an apparatus which may be used on acontinuous basis to produce a cloud for military use in an effective andefficient manner.

A still further object is to provide an apparatus which can continuouslydisperse powder into a cloud in an effective and efficient manner.

Other objects and many of the attendant advantages of this inventionwill become better understood from a reading of the following detailedspecification with accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view showing the apparatus of this invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing the present apparatus attached to a barrelcontain powder.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, an apparatus 10 is shown for use indispersing a cloud of powder in an effective and efficient manner inmilitary operations to defeat penetration by enemy infra-red sensors ofa concealed target.

The apparatus 10 is separably mounted on top of the open end 11 of adrum or barrel 12 containing the powder 13 desired to be dispersed. Thebase of the apparatus is a cover 15 having a top 16 and bottom surface17 and an axial opening 18. A first hollow elongated pipe or cylinder 20is provided communicating with the axial opening 18 while a secondcommunicating pipe 21 is fitted on the upper side of the cover 16 incommunicating relationship to the axial opening 18 and the first hollowcylinder 20. The second cylinder 21 is adapted to receive a flexiblehose 22 which communicates in operative fashion with a conventionalforced-air generator (not shown). An outlet tube 24 in the form of ahollow elbow having a 45° angle is provided on the cover andcommunicates with air-space 25 above the powdery mass 13. The firstcylinder or pipe 20 is provided with elongated slits 26 along itslongitudinal length. The slits 26 each communicate between the firsthollow cylinder 20 and the powdery mass 13 for the provision offorced-air to the powder 13 in the drum or barrel 12. The powder 13 iscarried by the forced-air in an upwardly direction and exits through theoutlet tube 24 or elbow in the form of a cloud. However. it has beenfound that the dispersion rate is a function of both the air-flow andthe powder to be dispersed.

In operation, the by-pass slide-valve 30 is closed, the inletslide-valve 31 is open, and forced-air from a generator (not shown) isintroduced into the inlet-tube 20 means of a flexible hose 22. The airenters the inlet tube 20 and travels through the length thereof until itexits into the powdery mass 13 through the plurality of slits 26. Thepowder 13 is carried up and exits through the outlet tube 24 in the formof a powdery cloud. Directional guidance aay be given to the cloudthrough the use of a flexible hose which may be secured to the outlettube. It has been found that a dispersion rate of 10 pounds per minutemay be maintained which is substantially efficient in producing aneffective cloud for military use of satisfactory duration. The cloudproduced will defeat the penetration of infra-red sensors.

For excellent results, the powder may be talc, lime, or fly ash having aparticle size of 50μ or less.

The foregoing disclosure and drawings are merely illustrative of theprinciples of this invention and are not to be interpreted in a limitingsense. We wish it to be understood that we do not desire to be limitedto the exact details of construction shown and described because obviousmodifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

What is claimed is:
 1. A disperser of a powdery cloud consistingessentially of:a barrel having an open-end construction and containingpowder, a cover separably engaged to said open-end having a top andbottom surface with an axial opening passing therethrough, a firsthollow elongated cylinder having a first and second open end,said firstend secured to said bottom of said cover communicating with said axialopening, said elongated cylinder provided with a plurality of elongatedslits extending into said powder, a second hollow cylinder having afirst and second end of open construction, said first end of said secondcylinder secured to said top surface of said cover in axial alignment tosaid opening of said cover, a hollow elbow having a first and second endof open construction, said first end of said elbow secured to said coverand communicating with said barrel, forced air means for conveyance ofpowder secured to said second end of said second cylinder, whereby,forced air enters said second end of said second cylinder and flowsthrough said cover into said first elongated cylinder and thence throughsaid slits to said powder carrying said powder up and through said firstend and thence through said second end of said elbow out to theatmosphere in the form of a powdery cloud.
 2. The disperser of claim 1wherein said second cylinder is provided with a slide-valve adjacent thetop surface of sa1d cover to control an.
 3. The disperser of claim 2wherein said second cylinder is provided with a communicating hollowcylindrical extension transverse the axial bore of said second cylinder,said extension provided with a second slide-valve.